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1. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences www.iiste.org
ISSN (Paper)2224-5766 ISSN (Online)2225-0484 (Online)
Vol.4, No.14, 2014
29
Availability and Accessibility of ICT in the Provision of
Information Resources to Undergraduate Students in Babcock
University Library
CHUKS DANIEL ORIOGU (BLIS, MLIS)
Department of Library, Archival and Information Studies, University of Ibadan
orioguchuksdaniel@yahoo.com
SUSSAN UDOAKU OGBUIYI BA, PGDE, MLS)
Babcock University, Illisan-Remeo, Ogun State
udoaku1@yahoo.com
DARLINA CHIMA OGBUIYI (BIRM, MLIS)
Lead City University, Ibadan
chimadarlina@yahoo.co.uk
Abstract
The paper investigated availability and accessibility of ICT in the provision of information resources to
undergraduate students in Babcock university library in Ogun State, Nigeria. Three research questions guided the
study and the data collection instrument used was the questionnaire, the study adopted survey research method.
The findings of the study revealed that most of the ICT facilities in the university library are available and
accessible, except scanner, CD-ROM and projector that are not available, accessible and use by the students. The
provision and use of ICT is an integral part of student learning and research. Therefore, the study recommends
that university libraries should endeavour to put in place ICT facilities that will promote students educational
pursuit.
Keywords: Availability, accessibility, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Information
resources, Babcock University library, Nigeria
INTRODUCTION
The use of information and communication technology (ICT) is gaining momentum in universities libraries
especially now that most universities in Nigeria are adopting ICT in the development and improvement of their
services. Therefore, availability of ICT in university libraries will increase accessibility; if proper awareness is
adequately created for its use. Thus, ICT usage will facilitate development since there will be free flow of
information between lecturers and students and also the librarians and the academic community.
The current shift from the age-long conventional means of providing library services to technological approaches
necessitated by advancements in computer technology, telecommunication system and the integration of both
have given rise to a new digital paradigm known as information and communication technology (Onyeneke,
2007). Therefore, this study investigated the availability and accessibility of ICT in the provision of information
resources to undergraduate students in Babcock University library.
LITERATURE REVIEW
According to the American Library Association (1983) information technology (IT) is the application of
computers and other technologies to the acquisition, organization, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of
information. Grant (1995) defined information technology as the nervous system of contemporary society,
transmitting and distributing sensory, control information and interconnecting a myriad of independent units. He
argued that the convergence of telecommunications and computing or informatics has resulted to what is known
as “New information and Communication Technology (NICT).” Thus, Information and communication
technology (ICT) encompasses the effective use of equipment and programs to access, retrieve, convert, store,
organize, manipulate and present data and information (Gay and Blades, 2005). Therefore, information and
communication technology is the application of technologies in the handling of information, in order to achieve
efficient management, access to, use and delivery of information.
The radical influence of information and communication technology is evident in all spheres of human
endeavour through the following ICT tools: digital telephone, computers, and printers, photocopying machine,
fax machines, cable networks,printer, Internet, projectors, CD-ROMs, etc. It is important to note that ICT use in
teaching, learning and research has become the norm across tertiary institutions where students have been
identified as stakeholders in its development and implementation (Ling et al., 2001; Petrova and Sinclair, 2005;
Lee and Nguyen, 2005). The use of information and communication technology in information handling and

2. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences www.iiste.org
ISSN (Paper)2224-5766 ISSN (Online)2225-0484 (Online)
Vol.4, No.14, 2014
30
processing has arisen because of information explosion. In order to keep track of the increasing number of
information carriers, computers are utilized to handle information processing with greater speed and accuracy
than manual processing (Aina, 2004).
However, the availability of information and communication technology is the presence of ICT facilities in the
provision of information resources in the libraries. Etebu (2010) observed that the state of ICT availability for
library services in the Niger Delta University libraries is not totally encouraging. Almost half the number of
available computers in the libraries does not function. Also, Afolabi (2009) also observed that the prospects of
ICT and the ideal situation of educational research in our ICT driven campus is still a mirage. This is why
university libraries should endeavour to make ICT facilities available and accessible to their users. More so,
accessibility of ICT is the ability of a person to perceive, use, navigate, communicate and interact with the ICT
facilities. Meanwhile, increasing the availability of accessible ICTs is considered a positive step in removing
barriers that limit students to effective use of ICT facilities in the university libraries in Nigeria.
According to Popoola and Haliso (2009) information resources are those information bearing materials that are
in both print and electronic format, such as text books, journals, indexes, abstracts, newspapers and magazines,
reports, CD-ROM databases, the Internet/E-mail, video tapes/cassettes, diskettes, magnetic disk, computers,
microforms etc. They further assert that these information resources are the raw materials that libraries acquire,
catalogue, stock and make available for their patrons, as well as utilize to provide various other services. Aguolu
and Aguolu (2002) assert that resources may be available in the library and even identified bibliographically as
relevant to one’s interest but the user may not be able to lay hands on them. One may identify citations in
indexes, but may not have access to the sources containing the relevant article. They further maintain that
availability of an information source does not necessarily imply its accessibility because the source may be
available but access to it, is prevented for one reason or the other.
Therefore, library is a repository of resources; it is an integral part of the educational system whose primary
function is to serve users. Today, the Internet is the apex of information and communication technology, offering
limitless access to all kinds of information and records, facilitating information generation and sharing across the
globe. Internet has reduced the world to a global village, linking cultures and people and creating new vistas of
knowledge. Through the Internet one can record, access, share and retrieve information anywhere in the world in
minutes (Unagha, 2006; Mwatawala, 2005 and Awake!, 1997).
Cuban (2001) found out that, university students in America usually utilized computer for word processing,
searching the Internet and for using email, while teachers used computers for research purpose rather than for
teaching in the classroom. Frizzier (1995) argued that computers may never replace teachers, and that computers
could make excellent and fairly inexpensive supplementary materials available to improve classroom teaching.
It is an indisputable fact that information technology has revolutionized the traditional means of information
processing, storage and dissemination. Henderson (1992) stated that information technology provides numerous
benefits and advantages to the information users. They are:
• Provision of speedy and easy access to information
• Provides remote access to information
• Provision of round – the – clock access
• Provision of access to unlimited information from different sources.
• Provision of information flexibility to be used by an individual according to his or her requirements
• Provides increased flexibility
• Facilitation of reformatting and combining of data from different sources.
Chavez (1997) asserts that Internet and computer usage can also impact positively on critical thinking,
problem solving, prompt feedback and collaborative instruction. Goldman et al (1999) has argued that computer
usage has numerous benefits as it primarily assists student learning. As Seely Brown and Duguid (2000) noted
that:
These technologies offer new ways of producing, distributing and
consuming academic materials. As with so many other institutions,
new technologies have caused universities to rethink not simply
isolated features but their entire mission and how they go about it.
Generally, university libraries should play active role in adopting ICT facilities as a means of effective
information delivery, so as to equip students with the right skill to access information independently.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The role of ICT in the provision of information resources in university libraries is crucial to students’ academic
growth. Therefore, the way undergraduate students’ access available ICT facilities in university libraries are still
generally poor. This is why the study investigated the availability and accessibility of ICT in the provision of
information resources to undergraduate students in Babcock university library.

3. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences www.iiste.org
ISSN (Paper)2224-5766 ISSN (Online)2225-0484 (Online)
Vol.4, No.14, 2014
31
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The main objective of this study is to investigate the availability and accessibility of ICT in the provision of
information resources to undergraduate students in Babcock university library.
They specific objective to the study are to:
(1) determine the availability of ICT in the Babcock university library;
(2) determine the accessibility of ICT in the university library;
(3) ascertain the extent of use of ICT by students.
METHODOLOGY
Survey research method was adopted for the study and structured questionnaire was used to collect data. A total
of hundred (100) undergraduate students of Babcock University library users were sampled, out of which ninety
one was completed for analysis using frequency counts, simple percentage, mean, standard deviation, to answer
the research questions. Thus, Random sampling technique was used to administer the questionnaire.
Results and Discussion
Demographical Variables:
Table 1: Distribution of the respondents by Gender
Gender Frequency Percentage
Male
Female
Total
37
54
91
40.7
59.3
100.0
The male respondents are 37(40.7%) and their female counterparts are 54(59.3%).
Table 2: Distribution of the respondents by Age
Age Frequency Percentage
< 18years
18-22 years
> 23 years
Total
13
59
19
91
14.3
64.8
20.9
Table 2 shows that 13(14.3%) of the respondents are un 18 years, 59(64.8%) are aged 18-22 years while
19(20.9%) are over 23 years of age.
Table 3: Distribution of the respondents by Level of Study
Level of Study Frequency Percentage
100
200
300
400
500
Total
15
17
27
29
3
91
16.5
18.7
29.7
31.9
3.3
100.0
Table 3 shows that 15(16.5%) are in 100 Level, 17(18.7%) are in 200 Level,27(29.7%) are in 300 Lev(%) are
in level, 29(31.9%) are in 400 Level, 3(3.3%) are in 500 Level respectively.
Table 4: Availability of ICT facilities in the Babcock University Library
SN Availability of ICT Available Not Available
1 Computers 82
90.1%
9
9.9%
2 Internet 82
90.1%
9
9.9%
3 Network 73
80.2%
18
19.8%
4 E-mail 77
84.6%
14
15.4%
5 Printer 76
83.5%
15
16.5%
6 CD-ROM 45
49.5%
46
50.5%
7 Projector 24
26.4%
67
73.6%
8 UPS 58
63.7%
33
36.3%
9 Scanner 42
46.2%
49
53.8%
10 Photocopier machine 85
93.4%
6
6.6%

4. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences www.iiste.org
ISSN (Paper)2224-5766 ISSN (Online)2225-0484 (Online)
Vol.4, No.14, 2014
32
Table 4 shows the availability of ICT items in Babcock University Library. Most of the respondents revealed
that Photocopier machine (93.4%) are highly available, follow by Computers (90.1%); Internet (90.1%); E-mail
(84.6%), Printer (83.5%) Network (80.2%) and UPS (63.7%) are all available.
Table 5: Accessibility of ICT facilities in the University Library
SN Accessible of ICT Accessible Not
Accessible
1 Computers 80
87.9%
11
12.1%
2 Internet 80
87.9%
11
12.1%
3 Network 68
74.7%
23
25.3%
4 E-mail 71
78.0%
20
22.0%
5 Printer 63
69.2%
28
30.8%
6 CD-ROM 33
36.3%
58
63.7%
7 Projector 19
20.9%
72
79.1%
8 UPS 54
59.3%
37
40.7%
9 Scanner 38
41.8%
53
58.2%
10 Photocopier machine 79
86.8%
12
13.2%
Table 5, shows the responses on the level of accessibility of ICT facilities in the university library. It was
revealed that majority of the respondents shows that the following ICT facilities are highly accessible:
Computers (87.9%); Internet (87.9%); Photocopier machine (86.8%); E-mail (78.0%); Network (74.7%); Printer
(69.9%) and UPS (59.3%).
Table 6: Extent of Use of ICT by Students in the University Library
SN Extent of use of ICT No use About
everyday
Two or
more
times a
week
About
once a
week
Once a
month
Mean SD
1 Computers 8
8.8%
20
22.0%
24
26.4%
13
14.3%
26
28.6%
3.32 1.33
2 Internet 8
8.8%
22
24.2%
23
25.3%
21
23.1%
17
18.7%
3.19 1.25
3 Network 11
12.1%
21
23.1%
23
25.3%
20
22.0%
16
17.6%
3.10 1.28
4 Printer 24
26.4%
8
8.8%
19
20.9%
16
17.6%
24
26.4%
3.09 1.55
5 Photocopier machine 19
20.9%
18
19.8%
22
24.2%
14
15.4%
18
19.8%
2.93 1.41
6 E-mail 25
27.5%
15
16.5%
13
14.3%
20
22.0%
18
19.8%
2.90 1.51
7 UPS 49
53.8%
15
16.5%
12
13.2%
6 6.6% 9 9.9% 2.02 1.36
8 Scanner 59
64.8%
6
6.6%
7
7.7%
7
7.7%
12
13.2%
1.98 1.50
9 CD-ROM 63
69.2%
4
4.4%
6
6.6%
8 8.8% 10
11.0%
1.88 1.45
10 Projector 67
73.6%
7
7.7%
8
8.8%
5 5.5% 4 4.4% 1.59 1.14
Table 6 shows the responses on the extent of use of ICT facilities by Students in the university library;
Computers (Mean= 3.32), Internet (Mean= 3.19), Network (Mean= 3.10), Printer (Mean= 3.09), Photocopier

5. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences www.iiste.org
ISSN (Paper)2224-5766 ISSN (Online)2225-0484 (Online)
Vol.4, No.14, 2014
33
machine (Mean= 2.93), E-mail (Mean= 2.90), UPS (Mean= 2.02), Scanner (Mean= 1.98), CD-ROM (Mean=
1.88) and lastly Projector (Mean= 1.59).
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
ICT has tremendously improve library services and also contributed to students academic development in
providing timely and easy access to and use of wide range of information resources to students worldwide.
Therefore the study shows that ICT facilities are adequately available and accessible in the university library but
the extent of use of UPS, CD-ROM and projector is generally poor. However, it is worthy to note that the
provision and use of ICT is an integral part of student learning and research. Therefore, university libraries
should make adequate provision of CD-ROMs, scanners and projector in order to increase its effective use by
students.
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